The farewell banquet always makes people can't help but be greedy, Jiang Fangzhen seems to be in high spirits today, he keeps talking, he called a jar of burning knives to help the fun, and Xie Huaichang talked about democracy, education, and military, it seems that everything in the world is in his heart, and it is a topic at his fingertips, Chen Ji listened on the side, and occasionally interjected. By the end of the banquet, Jiang Fangzhen was almost drunk, Xie Huaichang was drunk, Chen Ji was sober, and Xie Huaichang called a rickshaw for Jiang Fangzhen to send him home, Jiang Fangzhen held Xie Huaichang's hand tightly in the car, and his eyes were red: "Ning Yin, you and I have intersected, and it can be regarded as fate, I have talked with you very happily in the past few months, and there is only one word of parting." ”

Xie Huaichang said solemnly: "Please speak." ”

Jiang Fangzhen said: "As far as you are concerned, there is no need to participate in those Yaji frequently, in the future, when you go to the West, you can see the most original and unadapted versions of the ideas and books mentioned in Yaji, and what you should do now is to learn as many foreign languages as possible," he said, and sighed deeply: " I have heard that your teacher is Mr. Spencer, and he is very good, and he has probably more knowledge than any foreigner in this country, and he can teach you more than the Yaji can teach you, and you have been studying behind closed doors in the house for the past two months, and this is very good, and you must persevere. ”

Xie Huaichang frowned, thought for a moment, and nodded solemnly: "I have written down everything you said." ”

Jiang Fangzhen let go of his hand and shook Chen Ji's hand again, his expression was emotional, as if he had a thousand words to confide, but after choking for a long time, he only said one sentence: "Yuji ......"

Chen Ji took out a free hand and patted the back of his hand, and said with a smile: "Baili, I know what you want to say, but everyone has their own ambitions, you don't have to force it, you protect the country, I protect the family, so it's good." ”

Jiang Fangzhen sighed, let go of his hand, and leaned on the back of the chair: "It's good if you think it's good, I'm just sorry." ”

Chen Ji took a step back, stood on the side of the road, smiled and nodded to him in farewell: "Have a good trip." ”

He paid the fare in advance, told the driver of his destination, and watched the rickshaw disappear into the bustling traffic of Beijing with Xie Huaichang. Wanlan thought that he would invite himself to go to the foreign bank for leisure, and he had already thought of the words of refusal in his abdomen, but who knew that he turned around, but what he said was a polite farewell, Xie Huaichang thought about being with her, and saw Chen Ji's reaction, he was also secretly taken aback, fortunately, he reacted quickly, and before he could show anything strange, he had already hidden his feelings and said goodbye to him.

"Miss Pingqing is interested, welcome to visit Conley Foreign Company," Chen Ji put her sister and brother into the carriage and smiled at Wanlan: "Recently, a new batch of European perfumes has been introduced, I don't know if you will be interested, if you don't have time to go out, I can send things to the house." ”

Wanlan smiled and thanked him, and did not take these polite words to heart, but the next day, the porter really sent a delicately packaged cardboard box, which was opened to reveal a small and delicate glass bottle, carved into the shape of a moon flower, which contained a crimson transparent liquid.

Xie Huaichang took the bottle in his hand and played with it, put it to his nose and sniffed it, and was sure: "Well, it is indeed a Western perfume." ”

Wanlan glanced at him: "I thought you saw something." ”

As she spoke, she took out a neatly folded note from the box, with only one address written on it, which was the Jixiang Theater in Dongdan.

Xie Huaichang said firmly: "Well, he wants to invite you to the play." ”

Wanlan pursed her lips and smiled: "Why, with the comparison of Miss Lan, the new miss can't be more in line with him?" Hengzhu is going to marry the girl of the Xie family, which one is different." ”

Xie Huaichang also laughed: "If he really withdraws from your marriage and asks to marry Wanxin, it will be a slap in the face to his father, not to mention that the second uncle will not agree at that time, even his father will never allow such a ridiculous thing." ”

Wanlan pinched the note and looked at it again: "I wrote a good word, do you say I am going or not going?"

"It's better to just go for a trip," Xie Huaichang looked at her, his smile was indescribably weird and gloating: "If he really becomes obsessed with Miss Xin, he will only look good when the truth is revealed in the future." ”

"I'm not here for this," Wanlan said, "He said that his ambitions are not limited to a foreign bank manager, and I estimate that he is probably going to be an independent businessman." But there are a lot of people who have been in the business house these years, and even if he does, he has no advantage, but looking at his appearance of being a bamboo in his chest, people can't help but mutter, could it be that he has some capital to dare to have such great ambitions. ”

Xie Huaichang thought for a while, and suddenly his face sank: "What are you asking about this?"

Wanlan didn't react for a while, looked up at him in confusion, and responded: "Huh?"

Xie Huaichang asked again: "Are you tempted?"

Wanlan was even more stunned: "Who are you tempted by?"

Xie Huaichang said: "If you want to learn from him to do business, it won't work on your father's side, and besides, you are still a woman, how can you do business like Chen Yuji?"

Wanlan looked at him for a long time and sighed: "It is said that there is no endless road, but why is this road so difficult to find." ”

Xie Huaichang withdrew his body, leaned on the back of the chair, and looked at her with a smile: "You really have the intention of going to business?"

"What's so bad about business?" Wan Lan said: "George's family, Spencer, started as a merchant back then, and now that the British political system has changed, why don't you go back to business? Besides, if we don't go to business, do we want our family to farm? or become craftsmen? I'm afraid that my father will be more difficult to accept." ”

Xie Huaichang put aside the perfume bottle sent by Chen Ji, picked up the original English book that he had flipped through earlier, and joked with her: "Look at you are so anxious, you have no confidence in Lafayette? What if her old man really shows her might, and she will become rich and strong overnight?"

Wanlan snorted disdainfully: "You are the one who has no confidence in Lafayette, the constitutional edict has come down, who opened the pulpit at the gate of the hall of Beijing Normal University? I am not as pessimistic as you, I just want to prepare one more way back, think about it, if it is really as my uncle said...... If the Zhuangzi in the family is gone, I see what you can do for dinner, you can't even eat, and what are you talking about breaking the rules to save China? ”

Xie Huaichang hurriedly begged her for mercy: "My sister, I just mentioned it, and you're not done talking about it." ”

Wanlan snorted: "I hate you the most like you only looking at the sky, you can't even have a home, and you want to level the world." ”

Xie Huaichang simply put down the book and asked her, "Why can't I go home?"

Wanlan didn't scare him at all, raised her eyebrows and said, "Okay, then let me ask you, if it's true...... In troubled times, what should I do at home, what kind of nursing home should I take, and what should I do to get by?"

Xie Huaichang asked rhetorically: "If you change careers and do business, you will be able to live in the hospital?" I'm afraid that before the newly earned money arrives, the officials and villains will already be worried about it. ”

"I didn't say that the whole family turned to business," Wanlan glanced at him, propped her arms on the chair, her eyes purred, and she thought, "Isn't there still you, and the second uncle?"

Xie Huaichang was taken aback: "Do you want me to join the Qing court?

"You can't help but agree, the official faction you leave will stay in the foreign country, and the court will pay for it," Wanlan looked at him gloatingly: "When the court decrees come down, it doesn't matter if you want to enter the Qing court." ”

Xie Huaichang raised his hand and pointed at her, speechless for a long time.

Wanlan didn't bother to tease him anymore, she thought about it for a while, made up her mind, reached out and put the note and perfume into the box, stood up and walked out: "I'll leave the house in the afternoon, you will be honest, George will come over and continue to teach you, by the way, I forgot to ask you recently, where have you learned?"

Xie Huaichang rolled his eyes and looked at her: "No, I learned from the heavenly book." ”

Wanlan covered her mouth with a handkerchief and laughed: "What kind of character do you have with me, I said it clearly before I came, the court chose to stay in the foreign students, but you forgot it, I kindly remind you that you will take revenge." ”

Xie Huaichang lowered his head and looked at the page in his palm again: "Okay, let's go quickly, I'll see you and I'll be heartbroken." ”

"You forgetful thing, how can you talk to your sister," Wanlan smiled and poked him in the shoulder, "Be careful that I slap you with a big mouth." ”

Xie Huaichang leaned forward, Wanlan poked into the air, he crooked his mouth, and made an expression that seemed to be smiling: "Let's go, be careful that your fiancé is in a hurry." ”

Wanlan smiled and poked him again: "Chen Ji has come back, don't tell my father, and don't tell my uncle, since he wants to hide it, then we won't break it." Besides, before the elders don't know, we can see each other a few more times, and if our parents know, we have to talk about the rules and precepts. ”

Xie Huaichang nodded, and said: "You should also take it easy, a girl who has not been out of the cabinet is mixed with men all day long, no matter what, it is not good, my uncle is so fond of Wanxin, I haven't seen her go out every day." ”

Wanlan glared at him heavily: "When my next generation is reincarnated, I must be attentive and become a man, so as not to be bound by so many rules, this is not allowed or that, this is the rule set by whom, why should women stay in the boudoir in peace, it's too unfair." ”

Xie Huaichang spread his hands: "What's the use of you being angry at me, this rule is not set by me, besides, I advise you like this, it's not for your good." ”

Wanlan snorted, turned around and went out.

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Forget the eight ends: This is a scolding phrase among the people. In ancient times, the "eight ends" referred to "filial piety, loyalty, faithfulness, courtesy, righteousness, honesty, and shame", and the eight ends referred to the root of being a man. In the Northern Song Dynasty Ouyang revised the "History of the New Five Dynasties", the book said: "Wang Jian was a scoundrel when he was young, and he was a thief who slaughtered cattle and stole donkeys, and was called the eighth thief king. As a result, the swearing "bastard" and "bastard" swear words with mongrel language were evolved.